Apparatus for the manufacture of salt



Jan. 1', 1935. M. J. GEARING Er AL APPARATUS FOR THE MANUEACTURE OF SALT Filed Aug. 22. 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N.. ,NNN

nventors Jan. l, 1935. M. .L GEARING r-:rAL

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFAGTURE OF SALT Filed Aug. 22, 1930 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jan. 1, 1935 UNITED `SAL Miltpn J, Gaifirfganu William ripe-wiring; n., Sinclair', Mieli., as signors to'GeneralfFoodsCor'- poration,"` `New York, N; -Y.,`acorporation of Delaware` f This Ainvention relates tti-improvements inlsysf I Y process,.wherein theinvention isembodied; l

tems andv apparatus for makingsalt.:

This invention is particularly applicable to thei known Albergersystem of manufacturingsalt,` which system in simple form-isillustrateda11d-` described in UnitedStates. Patent No- 1,141,999 to Charles L. Weil, although 'not necessarily restricted to this use.

about 226 F. ,Thisheated brine isI then forced under` `sufficient `pressure to; prevents. Vboiling through suitable heaters wherein the brine-v attains a temperature of about 275.a `lia At ternperature impurities such ascalcium sulphate are precipitated and removed fromV the brine, usually i by passing the brinethrough gravelers wherein will be understood that the heatersgravelers, etc.`

- whereby operating costs are reduced without alf-: fecting production.` Otherj objetss include-the. provision of novel brine heatinggmeansina systhe impurities deposit. The. superheated `brine is then conductedto one or more flashers in wh'ichl the pressure is released, causing the brine toboil violently, `andftlien to an` open evaporating pan..V In-the evaporating pan crystallization of the salt takes place, the crystals;` being recovered inl. any` suitable manner, andthe remainingbrine isagain conducted through the heaters and flashers as above described,fresh brine being added to the system` to compensate for evaporation losses;V It

may be arranged` in parallelY seriesto Vpermitcontiriuous operation pfthe systemand simultaneous cleaning of'` the varibus elements: f'

It is an object of the presentinve ntion to`prolY vide an. improved system of the Alberger type that; is` designed to providemaximum eficiency; inopfv eration, and to effect-substantial-economieswithe' out detriment to the operation lofltheqsystem,v

tem4 of Y this iV clfiaracter,I novel means for utilizing waste exhaust vapors from the operationof the plant. to advantagein the` salt making system,l

andA novel means for u tillllie heretofore waste vapors from thesystemitself. Qther objects `will` appear vmore fully hereinafter.

One embodiment of the invention has .beerr` illustrated in the accompanying drawings, butxit claims for this purpose. l Inl saidll drawings 55 Fig.. 1L isa diagrammatc representatiomofi a According. to the Albergerj process as usually practiced, brinewis' ;rst` pre;y

. heated to!A a temperature somewhat belowits nor-1 mal boiling point, which` for saturated .brine is system; for' 'making sau' according to the Alberga- -Fig 2= is a diagrammaticillustratonirifperspecitiveof a heater .which may be'` employed in the system` shoWnf.in'Fig. 11; a 1 i Fig.. 3 is aihorizontal section through theheaterV shown in Fig. 2;` and Fig; 4'i`s a detail view of a' partfof saidheater.

It` will be understood that` the* various el'erertsofxthe system'i to be describedh'ereinaf-ter ma'yf be' of.' any suitableV form and; con'structi'on',` said-elements'being shownrdiagrammatically in:l the draw Referring now to l, brine frforn any' suitable source" fed tothe systemL inf any suitable: manner through'` ai supply pipef 11 and. passes* throughoneor morepreliminaryffreshbrineheaters =2,he'at'ed by steamro tlielike'conductedtherl toibymeans of .pip`e3. Initlie embodiment. shown;1 pipesSaco'n'ducts,V steam or` vapor` at atmospheric' pressure. to the; heaters,'v Which-.steam may be" eirl` haustedifromf another par-t' of ther system de'- soribedf hereinafter. Fromtheflieater! 2 the brine is* conductedi through` a pipe 5.4i to" a heater whichf likewise` receives the tail brin'eifr'omi the'` system as" hereinafter described; saidiheateff beingasupplied witha steam'Y ori the like throughrpipe 6 branching frompipei j i.

- The mixture@ freenamrcanbnnefromheaterl 5y which may? be at` a temperature of approxie'; mately: 200 F.,` is fed toj` a system of the type' described# abbve wherein its temperature" is.' in# creased underfpressure to approximately 2759F. andlthe pressure thereafterreleasedto' causethe brineftojboilgviolently. V.llccordir'i'gly the'brine' is conducted through a graveler 94and".preferably` A throughi alter 10g botlia otfainyfl suitable. type,

intoarstasherl lfl` wherein;` thepressurefV is ref duced; .for exarriple;` to approrimately 121 pounds; The hot brine boils'violently unde'rithis: reducedr pressuregfgiving .oifr steamfwhich leavesthea'sher ati a'f temperature of .2ji5i F; "corresponding tof a) gauge pressure of 12tpcun`ds; the `brine'theiif passL ingto' a: sec`ondf=flasher 12.wherein` the pressure'is again. reduced',` for examplegtol about" 8 pounds* andsteanris'given off at the:` corresponding tem:`

being then discharged into an open evaporating pan 14 wherein the salt crystals are recovered in any suitable manner and the tail brine being discharged into heater 5. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the number and arrangement of elements such as iiashers and heaters and the temperatures and pressures speciiied above are mentioned only as an illustration of practical operating conditions and may vary widely. i

It will be observed that a considerable expendiof the circulating brine from approximately 200 F. at the pump 8 to 275 F. at the discharge from 'the final heater, and the present invention provides novel means for obtaining the desired final temperature. Referring again to the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1', the rst heater 15 of the series is supplied by pipe 16 with steam discharged from flasher 12 whichas above stated may bejat a'temperature of 'about 235 F. and may suiice Ato 'raise .the temperature of the brine to about 215 F. The second heater 1'7 of the series may be similarly supplied by pipe. 18 with steam discharged from the flasher 11 at a temperature of about 245, whereby the temperature of the brine may be raised to about 230 F. 1

,.Theffinal elevation of temperature to about 275 F. is obtained by the use of heaters 19 and 20 supplied with` exhaust steam from other apparatus inthe plantexternal to the system. HeatersV 19 and 20 are vpreferably of the multipass type described in detail below. Heater 19 is supplied through a pipe 21 with exhaust steam, which may for example' be derived from the operation of machinery such as pumps :and the like, at about l pounds pressure and at a corresponding temperature of about 250 F. A steamturbine 22'is provided for any suitable purpose, said turbine for example forming part of a turbo generator providing electrical power for the plant and preferably being cfa type adapted to operate at high pressure and withhigh back pressure. Steam isV supplied tdturbine 22 through pipe 23 and the exhaust steam of this turbine,` which in the embodiment described is atv a pressure of about 80 pounds and a corresponding temperature of about 324 F., is conducted through pipe 24.170 heater 20. Owing to the increased emeiency of theheater and the high temperature of the exhaust. steam vsupplied thereto, sufcient. heat isisupplied to the brine to raise the' temperature tothe desired iinal temperature set forth above'.

{In order to utilize ascompletely aspossible all and partly through a pipe 26 to a vacuum pan 27 `of any suitable type whereby additional salt may be manufactured. y

Y Figs. 2, 3, and 4 illustrate one formuof multipass heater which maybe employed in the 'system illustrated in Fig. 1.Y Said heateris provided with upperv and lower .headers 28 and 29 respectively, the bottoms 30 of which constitute tube sheets between which extend a plurality of tubes 31. Tubes 31 between the headers 28 and 29 are surrounded by a suitable casing 32 and preferably an expansion joint 33 connects the top of casing 32 with the top header 28. :Each of the headers 28l and 29 is closed by aisuitable cap 34. Casing 32 is lledwith steam supplied by pipe 24 andbrine is circulated throughv thetubes, enter- 75*y ing the bottom header 29 through inlet35 and leaving by outlet 36, suitable partitions 37 being provided in the top and bottom headers to cause the brine to pass through the heater a plurality of times. In the form shown, the nest of tubes 31 is divided into ten sections by the partitions 37 which are suitably arranged to vcausethe brine to circulate through these sections inseries, as indicated diagrammatically by the flow line in Fig 2.

The apparatus described above provides for f' ecient utilization of the available heat and reture of heat is required to raise the temperature ate the vacuum pan eliminates a further sourcev of waste in the system .as heretofore operated and eiects further economies; It will` be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown in the drawings, since other forms of heaters could be employed, while the number and arrangement of the elements and the operating conditions such as temperature, pressure, etc., could be varied within considerable limits Without departing from the spirit of the invention. Reference is therefore to behad tothe appended claims for a denition of the limits of theinvention.

What is claimed Y 21; Ina system for making salt of the type wherein brine is heated under pressure to a temperature above its normal boiling point and is caused to boil by releasing the pressure in a fiasher,means for heating said brine comprising a heater, means for'conducting steam from said flasher to said heater, a second heater, steam-operated power apparatus, means for conductingv 2; Ina system for making salt of the type wherein brine `isfheated under pressure to a temperature above its lnormal boiling point, the combination of a pair of heaters in series, said heaters beinglofthe multipass type, steam-operated powerl apparatus, means for conducting exhaust steam from said apparatus to the first of said heaters, a highpressure steam turbine, means for conducting exhaust steam from said turbine to the secondof said'heaters', and means for circulatingL brine ltl'iroi'igh said heaters.- Y

' 3. Irifa system kfor making salt of the type wherein brine is heated under pressure to a temperature above its normal boiling point andv is caused to boil by releasing the pressure in a flasher, means for heatingA said brine-comprising a heater, means for conducting steam from said asher-to said heater, a second heater of the multipass type, steam-operated apparatus, means for'conducting exhaust steam from said apparatus to said second heater, a third heater rof the multipass type, a high pressure steam turbine, means for conducting exhaust steam from said turbine to said third heater, and means for circulating brine through said heaters in series.

.54. Inralsystem for making salt, the combination of a plurality of heaters in series whereby brine is heated under pressure to a temperature above its normal boiling point, a plurality of flashers in series whereby the pressure is successively reduced to atmospheric pressure, means for circulating brine through said flashers and heaters, means for conducting steam from said flashers to said heaters, a high back pressure turbine, means for conducting exhaust steam from said turbine to the last heater in the series, a vacuum pan, and

lmeans for conducting steam from the last flasher in the series to said vacuum pan.

5. A salt making plant comprising in combination a steam turbine operating with high back pressure, steam-operated power apparatus, a plurality of brine heaters and a plurality of ilashers in series, means for conducting the exhaust steam from said flashers to certain of said heaters, means for conducting the exhaust steam from said apparatus to another heater, and means for conducting the high pressure exhaust steam from said turbine to another heater.

6. A salt making plant comprising in combination a steam turbine operating with high backV pressure, steam-operated power apparatus, four brine heaters and at least two flashers all serially connected, means for conducting exhaust steam from the second flasher to therst heater, means for conducting exhaust steam from the rst nasher to the second heater, means for conducting the exhaust steam from said apparatus to the third heater, and means for conducting the high pressure exhaust steam from said turbine to the fourth heater.` Y

7. A salt making plant comprising in combination a steam turbine operating with high back pressure, steam-operated power apparatus, a

heating system including a preliminary brineA heater, four main brine heaters, and three flashers all serially connected, a vacuum pan, an exhaust conduitv for the last ilasher connected with said preliminary heater and said Vacuum pan, an exhaust conduit for the second flasher connected with thefirst main heater, an exhaust conduit for the rst flasher connected with the second main heater, the third and fourth main heaters being of the multipass type, means for conducting exhaust steam from said apparatus to said third heater, and means for conducting high pressure exhaust steam from said turbine to said fourth heater.

MILTON J. GEARING. WILLIAM F. DOWNING, J R. 

